


Never Brought Him Down

by Tricochet



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: M/M, Response to 4x04, angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-23 17:33:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16623371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tricochet/pseuds/Tricochet
Summary: Gary finds out that John is hurt after days of Ava keeping information from him.





	Never Brought Him Down

**Author's Note:**

> Note that Ava is uncharacteristically mean in this fic. That isn't how I see her, but it had to happen for the narrative. Also assume that Nate knows about Charlie for the purpose of the story.

Nate pauses in his formatting of the Bureau spreadsheets to stand up. Flipping between the pages is hurting his head. 

Ava motions him into her office. He sighs. His boss is not what he needs at the moment. 

She shuts the door behind him. Her face is serious. 

“Has Gary said anything about John recently?” she asks quietly. 

“Yeah. He’s not too happy about the breakup. I don’t think he’s talked to John in a few days, though.”

Ava looks almost relieved. Nate wonders why she's using him to check on Gary instead of just asking herself.

“I know you’re concerned about Gary. And you think John’s a bad influence and you didn’t approve of them being a thing, but…”

“It’s not that,” Ava says quickly. “That’s… I didn’t like it, but it’s not my business.”

“What is it, then?” 

Ava sighs. “Nothing.”

Nate can’t quite believe her. 

 

“Ray, buddy, how’s the Waverider?”

Ray does the bro-hug and handshake. 

“Well, Charlie’s getting less murderous, but John’s still hurt.”

Nate stares at him. "John Constantine?"

“Wait, you didn’t know?” Ray says. 

“No! I mean, is it bad? Is it, like, Gary’s nipple injury or an actual-”

“It’s bad. It's a magic thing. He's out cold."

 

Nate slams Ava’s door with unnecessary violence. She jumps.

"Heywood, what the hell?"

“You didn’t tell him?”

“Tell who what?”

“Gary. About John,” Nate snaps.

Ava sets her paperwork down and looks at him. “No, I didn’t. He’s - I know he and Constantine are involved, but they’re not - at the moment. I just didn’t want him to worry about his ex getting hurt as well as hurting him.”

“I know you never approved of them, Ava, but this is a new low. How do you think not telling him that someone he loves is dying?” Nate yells.

Gary chooses that moment to stick his head through the door. “Hey! Thought I heard some unhappiness, and I wanted to let you all know that tacos are here! There’s nothing that can’t be solved with tacos.”

“Get inside and shut the door,” Nate says. Gary doesn’t seem to notice the intensity in his tone.

“Anything for my Time Bro,” Gary says cheerfully.

Nate stares at Ava, the tension far from diffused. 

“Tell him. Tell him, or I will.”

“Tell who what?” Gary asks, the same goofy smile on his face. 

Ava sighs. “Gary, it’s about John.”

“What about him?” Gary asks, but his grin is shrinking now. “Everything okay?”

“No. He’s hurt.”

Gary’s smile is completely gone. His taco falls to the floor. “How bad?”

“Lost some of his life force. He’s been unconscious for a few days.”

“A few days, and you didn’t tell me?” 

Nate has never seen Gary this mad. He feels like he should leave, but there’s no real opportunity in this conversation for a subtle getaway. 

“He’s - we travelled around hunting demons together! He’s my - someone I consider a friend. He’s a member of my D&D club now! You didn’t think I’d want to know?”

“Gary, I knew he’d end up hurting you! I didn’t know if he was going to do something stupid or get hurt, but either way, you get hurt. He hurt you.”

“You hurt me!” 

Gary opens the door and leaves. 

 

 

Gary walks into the Waverider kitchen, startling Ray. Mick doesn’t even blink.

“The medical- where’s John?”

“Gary, hi,” Ray says. He stands up. “I’ll show you.”

Gary follows him, feet almost clipping Ray’s heels as he hurries. 

“Nate told me you'd be on the way," Ray says evenly. "I'm sorry you didn't hear before."

“Yeah. Ava didn’t tell me he was hurt until Nate made her, or I would have been here earlier.”

Ray pushes the door open. 

Gary’s first thought is how relaxed John looks. The last time he’d looked that peaceful was the last time he’d stayed the night at Gary’s. Gary had had to convince him, saying he’d shag him again in the morning and that not leaving for one more night wouldn’t hurt. John had fallen asleep immediately, neck partly exposed so Gary could see the marks he’d left. 

This John doesn’t look so good. Gary looks at the unnatural angle his head is tilted back. 

“You could try to wake him up,” Ray suggests. “Try a true love’s kiss or whatever.”

“He’d be so grumpy if it actually worked,” Gary says. “Doesn’t believe in true love, destined to die alone, whatever, horrible person, bad things happen....”

“He’s going to be so embarrassed about how he got knocked out. There was this kid who’d lost a lot of life force to some monster and was about to die. John said he wasn't going to watch another kid die, did some intense spell, woke the kid up. Then he passed out.”

“Doing something good. Of course that’s when he gets hurt.”

“We’re doing what we can to help him.” Ray hesitates. “Uh, if I tell you how, you have to promise not to tell Ava.”

Gary nods.

“We’re going to find Nora Darkh and see if she can help us.”

“The Time Bureau fugitive?”

“Yeah. That’s the one.”

Gary stares at John some more. “Okay. I might actually be able to help with that. John showed me how to do some magic parlor tricks for my D&D group. Mostly, you just get a picture of someone and the background reflects where they currently are. I could do that for Nora, see if she’s somewhere we can identify.”

“And you won’t tell Ava when we know where she is?”

Gary shakes his head. “No. Nate is my Time Bro, and I know you and him are pals. Bros before Bureaus.”

“Alright. Well, let’s find her and save both of our magical morally gray… uh, friends,” Ray finishes unconvincingly. 

Ray leaves. Gary stares down at John, hovering over his motionless hand. He takes it and kisses the back, nothing John would be mad about. John doesn’t stir, but if he had, he wouldn’t have been John.

**Author's Note:**

> This is kind of what I hope for 4x05. I really want to see Gary finding out and reacting to what happened, though I expect they'll skip ahead after he already knows. I think Adam could do a good job playing Gary as a character who's still goofy but showing some kind of emotion other than goofiness. Gary's my favorite character, and I'm hoping he gets more in-depth characterization than just the comic relief this season. Seeing him and Nate talk in 4x03 was amazing. I also believe that Gary's going to play a bigger role in this season as something other than humor. 
> 
> I'd also like for Gary to play a role in helping John wake up. I definitely want him to at least be there.


End file.
